Apparatus for depositing materials on substrates

Claim 2

Apparatus for depositing material on a substrate by a sputter deposition process and comprising an enclosure for containing an ionizable gaseous environment at a predetermined pressure, an anode and a cathode located in the enclosure, the cathode having at least a part thereof of the material to be deposited on the substrate, means for applying an electrical potential to the anode and the cathode in order to ionize gas in the enclosure and generate a glow discharge in which positive ions in the gas bombard the cathode and thereby sputter atoms of the material from the cathode, the cathode, in operation, being so positioned relative to the substrate that the sputtered material passes through the gas and deposits on the substrate, and heating means, disposed adjacent to the enclosure walls, for heating the enclosure walls so as to heat the gas through which the sputtered atoms pass and thereby suppress homogeneous nucleation of the sputtered atoms in the gas.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cathode is shaped so that secondary electrons emitted by the cathode are directed at the substrate to heat it.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cathode is a hollow right circular cylinder at least the inner surface of which is made of the material to be deposited and the substrate is located in the bore of the cylinder.

Claim 5

Apparatus for depositing material on a substrate by a sputter deposition process and comprising an outermost enclosure for containing a gaseous environment, a gas outlet for the outermost enclosure, an innermost enclosure located within the outermost enclosure and thermally insulated from the outermost enclosure and provided with a gas inlet for an ionizable gas and a gas port, said gas port constituting a gas outlet for the innermost enclosure and a gas inlet for the outermost enclosure, heating means, disposed adjacent to the walls of the innermost enclosure, for heating the innermost enclosure walls, an anode and a cathode in the innermost enclosure, at least a part of the cathode being of the material to be deposited on the substrate, means for applying an electrical potential to the anode and the cathode in order to ionize gas in the innermost enclosure and generate a glow discharge in which positive ions in the gas bombard the cathode and thereby sputter atoms of the material from the cathode, the cathode, in operation, being so positioned relative to the substrate that the sputtered material passes through the gas and deposits on the substrate, and the heated walls of the innermost enclosure heating the gas through which the sputtered atoms pass to suppress homogeneous nucleation of the sputtered atoms in the gas.

Claim 6

Apparatus for depositing material on a substrate by a sputter deposition process and comprising an outermost enclosure for containing a gaseous environment, a gas outlet for the outermost enclosure, an innermost enclosure located within the outermost enclosure and thermally insulated from the outermost enclosure and provided with a gas inlet for an ionizable gas and a gas port, said gas port constituting a gas outlet for the innermost enclosure and a gas inlet for the outermost enclosure, heating means, disposed adjacent to the walls of the innermost enclosure, for heating the innermost enclosure walls, an anode and a cathode in the innermost enclosure, at least a part of the cathode being of the material to be deposited on the substrate, means for applying an electrical potential to the anode and the cathode in order to ionize gas in the innermost enclosure and generate a glow discharge in which positive ions in the gas bombard the cathode and thereby sputter atoms of the material from the cathode, the cathode, in operation, being so positioned relative to the substrate that the sputtered material passes through the gas and deposits on the substrate, and the heated walls of the innermost enclosure heating the gas through which the sputtered atoms pass to suppress homogeneous nucleation of the sputtered atoms in the gas.

Claim 7

Apparatus for depositing material on a substrate by a sputter deposition process and comprising an outermost enclosure for containing a gaseous environment, a gas outlet for the outermost enclosure, an innermost enclosure located within the outermost enclosure and thermally insulated from the outermost enclosure, said innermost enclosure including a gas inlet for an ionizable gas and a gas port, said gas port constituting a gas outlet for the innermost enclosure and a gas inlet for the outermost enclosure, heating means comprising an electrical resistance heater in contact with the innermost enclosure walls, an anode and a cathode within the innermost enclosure, the cathode having at least a part thereof of the material to be deposited on the substrate, means for applying an electrical potential to the anode and the cathode in order to ionize gas in the innermost enclosure and generate a glow discharge in which positive ions in the gas bombard the cathode and thereby sputter atoms of the material from the cathode, the cathode, in operation, being so positioned relative to the substrate that the sputtered material passes through the gas and deposits on the substrate, and the heated walls of the innermost enclosure heating the gas through which the sputtered atoms pass to suppress homogeneous nucleation of the sputtered atoms in the gas.

Claim 8

Apparatus for depositing material on a substrate by a sputter deposition process and comprising an outermost enclosure for containing a gaseous environment, a gas outlet for the outermost enclosure, an innermost enclosure located within the outermost enclosure and thermally insulated from the outermost enclosure, said innermost enclosure including a gas inlet for an ionizable gas and a gas port, said gas port constituting a gas outlet for the innermost enclosure and a gas inlet for the outermost enclosure, heating means comprising an electrical resistance heater in contact with the innermost enclosure walls, an anode and a cathode within the innermost enclosure, the cathode having at least a part thereof of the material to be deposited on the substrate, means for applying an electrical potential to the anode and the cathode in order to ionize gas in the innermost enclosure and generate a glow discharge in which positive ions in the gas bombard the cathode and thereby sputter atoms of the material from the cathode, the cathode, in operation, being so positioned relative to the substrate that the sputtered material passes through the gas and deposits on the substrate, and the heated walls of the innermost enclosure heating the gas through which the sputtered atoms pass to suppress homogeneous nucleation of the sputtered atoms in the gas.